Now back to the posts. When I re-read them, I realized that neither post fit the situation that occurred in Dallas. The first article did not really apply because of the fact that the shooters was using a rifle at a longer range. People weren’t close to him and there were lots of police on the scene.

Before the shooting starts.

Pay attention to the people around you. Watch for people that are wearing heavy clothing on a hot day or carrying large bags or backpacks.

Know how to get out of the area you are in, by at least two routes.

Pay attention to what cover is around you, think ahead at all times.

Don’t do anything that draws attention to you.

Be a gray man

After the sniper starts shooting in an urban setting

Take cover, while trying to determine where the shooting is coming from and from how many different directions.

Use cover and concealment. Understand the difference between the two. Cover is something that will protect you from the sniper fire. A concrete wall would be a good example. Concealment is something that will keep the sniper from seeing you, but will not protect you from gunfire. This could be a wood frame wall or a light vehicle. If you have concealment when it is safe, try to move to cover.

In case you are in a large group of people don’t just panic and join the stampeding crowd. The sniper may just be herding you into the kill zone of an explosive or another sniper.

If the police are responding, in force and you have good cover, wait for them to rescue you. Don’t look around and let curiosity get you killed

If you are a carrying a concealed handgun, I would not suggest that you immediately engage a sniper at long distances. All your handgun fire will probably do is draw attention to you. However, you may choose to fire in an effort to pin him down so others may escape or subdue him. But know the risks. The police may have trouble determining if you are a good guy or a bad guy.

Try to leave the area at your first opportunity.

Don’t risk your life for property. Only risk your life to save others, whether it is by taking out the sniper or rescuing the injured.

Penetration depends upon the range to the target and the type of material being fired against. At close ranges within 50 metres, 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons perform much the same. Single 5.56-mm rounds are not effective against structural materials (as opposed to partitions) at close range, because of bullet fragmentation. Steel core 7.62x39mm rounds fired from Kalnasnikov series weapons penetrate similar to 7.62mm NATO Ball ammunition fired from medium machineguns.

Even with reduced penetration which occurs at short ranges, interior walls made of thin wood paneling, Sheetrock, or plaster are no protection against 5.56-mm ball ammunition rounds. Common office furniture, such as desks and chairs, cannot stop these rounds, but a layer of books 18 to 24 inches thick can.

Wooden frame buildings and single cinder block walls offer little protection from 5.56-mm rounds. The following common barriers in urban areas stop a 5.56-mm round fired at less than 50 meters:

Another similar active shooter false alarm SNAFU at LAX so closely following after the one in NYC suggests that terrorists could be probing out airports to gage the effectiveness of response. Anyone who flies frequently needs to be extremely vigilant because these things happening in different parts of the country prior to September is too much to be mere coincidence: